Japan’s Defense Ministry to Create Another Senior Vice Minister Post; Aims to Boost Emergency Response Capabilities

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:53 JST, June 10, 2025

The Defense Ministry has decided to have two senior vice minister posts, according to several government and ruling-party sources.

The move is aimed at bolstering the ministry’s ability to respond swiftly to emergencies, such as natural disasters and North Korea’s repeated ballistic missile launches. It will be written into the Basic Policy on Economic and Fiscal Management and Reform to be finalized later this month.

Alongside the cabinet minister, the positions of senior vice minister and parliamentary secretary are the other two senior roles filled by political appointment. Many ministries, including the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry and the Foreign Ministry, already operate with two senior vice ministers.

At the Defense Ministry, either the minister or the senior vice minister is normally on standby in Tokyo in case crisis management is needed. In recent years, however, the security environment surrounding Japan has worsened and demand for Self-Defense Force disaster-relief operations has grown, increasing the burden of emergency response.

After ironing out the details, the government plans to submit a bill to amend the National Government Organization Law, in which the number of senior vice ministers is stipulated, to the Diet.